Automatic paper-adjuster and gage-pin for platen printing-presses.



C. A. NACE. AUTOMATIC PAPER ADJUSTER AND GAGE PIN FDR PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES.

APPHCATION FILED SEPT. H. 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Sept. 2

R 3 N i v m C B WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS C. A. NACE.

AUTOMATiC PAPER ADJUSTER AND GAGE PIN FOR PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. H, I916.

Patented Sept.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I ma V A s 6 Z r m i U V ITNESSES:

BY My f fill/Wadi \TIORNEXS CHARLES A. NAGE, OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC PAPER-ADJUSTER-ANID GAGE-PIN FOR PLATEN PRINTING-PRESSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application filed September 11, 1916. Serial No. 119,463.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. NAoE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Clara, in the county of SantaClara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Paper-Adjusters and Gage-Pins for Platen Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic paper adjuster and gage pin for platen printing presses. H I

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, substantial, automatically operated mechanism for adjusting the paper on a platen with relation to the gage pins and the bed of the press, after the paper has been delivered to the platen by the feeder or operator, (particularly where a perfect register is desirable). 1

A further object of the invention is to provide a movable finger which is adapted to engage the sheet and move it into engagement with a pair of stationary gage pins, and furthermore to provide a movable gage pin for adjusting the sheet laterally of the platenbefore it is brought into engagement with the type, or bed ofthe press, as will hereinafterbe more fully described.

Further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a standard form of platen printing press showing the application of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe movable finger and gage pin together with the connected operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the movable gage pin.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the platen and the grippers showing the application of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail A indicates the main frame of a standard form of platen printing press, 2 the bed .of the press where the type is mounted, 3 the feeding table, 4 the platen, 5 the depressible gripper bar, and 6 6* the gripper'arms;

The automatic paper adjusting mechanism forming the subject matter of the present application, generally shown in Figs. 2 and 4, is carried entirely by the gripper arm shown at 6*. This mechanism is constructed and operated as follows Secured on the gripper arm 6 in any suitable manner or as here shown bymea ns of set'screws 'Z, is a bracket plate 8. Pivotally mounted as at 9 on one end of said. plate is an arm 10, and slidably and adjustably secured on the outer end of said arm is an inwardly projecting finger 10 on the outer end of Which is provided a rubber shoe 11. Secured on the opposite end of the bracket plate 8 as at 12 is a leaf spring 13 the free end of which is pivotally attached as at 14 to the arm 10 on one side of the pivot 9, and secured on top of the spring 13 is a second spring 15, the function of which'will hereinafter be described. Mounted adjacent the arm 10 is a stop lug 16 which limits the inward swinging movement of the arm 10 about the pivot 9, and connecting said arm with the plate 8 is a second spring 17 which cooperates with the spring'13 to hold the arm in the full line position shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Secured upon the gripper arm 6 in a manner'similar to the bracket plate 8' previously described, 'is a second bracket plate 18. EX- tending'out from the inner face of said plate is a pin 19, and slidably mounted on said pin is a block 20 which will hereinafter be termed the movable gage or gage block. Pivotally mounted on the bracket plate 18 on the end opposite the movable gage 20 is an arm 21, and connecting said arm with the gage is a link 22. Secured upon the bracket plate'18 as at 23 is a leaf spring similar to the spring 13 previously described. The other end of the spring is pivotally connected With the arm 21 as at 24, and secured to said spring as at25 is a second spring similar to the one previously described and shown at 15. The several leaf springs here shown are adapted to be compressed in a manner hereinafter to be described, and said compression is transmitted in either instance to move the gage 20 and the arm 10. p I

In actualoperation when it is desired to prepare the platen for a certain job, it is only necessary to cover the platen with a draw sheet in the usual manner and to in sert the stationary gage pins suchtasxindt cated at 30,31 and 32. The operator when working, moves the paper sheet by sheet from the table 3 down upon the platen, andv delivers each individual sheet at a point where it-will approximately engage with: the stationary pins 30, 31 and 32. The rising and the. swinging movement of: the platen causes the gripper arms 6 and 6 together with the attached mechanism here shown, to swing down into engagement with the platen a moment previous to its. en-

. gagementwith the. type or bedof the press.

'10 is therefore swung about its pivot 9 to assume the dotted line position shown at.

10". The rubber shoe 11 on the. finger in this manner engages the sheet and pulls it in the direction of arrow a into positive engagement with the stationary gage pins 30 and 31.

The second set of cooperating. leaf springs carriedbythe bracket plate 18 willnext en.-

gage with the furniture on the bed of the press, andtherefore forces the movable gage,

20 out or away from the gripper arm to the dotted line position indicated at20 see Fig. 4. The sheet is in this manner moved later? ally upon the platen a positive distance away from the stationary gage pin '32, and

as this movement is always positive and uniform it can readily be seen that each sheet delivered is automatically adjusted to as.

sume a pre-determined position. with rela.--

, tionto thev stationary gage pins, .and the type or the bed ofthe press. A perfect register is in this manner always obtained without relying upon the skill or judgmentof the'feeder. It furthermore relieves the feeder of the necessity of taking-the same amount of care when delivering a sheet to the. gage pins as is otherwise necessary.

For instance the sheet delivered.- by thefeeder -might assume the dotted'lineyposi. tion indicated at 40. This would make, no material difference as the movement to the rubber tippedfinger 11 wouldpull. the sheet down into engagement with. the stationary gage pms 30 and 31 and the movement of.

. the movablegage 20. would adjustJthe-sheet laterally, to assume the position desired It can thereforelbe seen that comparatively little care is required on the-part. of the feederas each sheet delivered mam athe feeder materially increased.

eally adjusted regardless of the position as sumed when first delivered. The importance of the automatic adjusting mechanism does-not only reside in thefact that aperfect register is always obtained regardless of the position of the sheet when first delivered to: the platen, but also in view of the fact that waste is practically speaking'entirely elimated, and the speed of Anothernadvantage besides a perfect register where one or more colors are to be printed, is that'thedisadvantage of creeping of the draw-sheet-is entirely overcome, and the operator is at the sametime relieved f any worry. as the automatic paper ad-- j usting mechanism. positively insures a. pe'rfect register. Agreater ,PhOCluGtlODBJRl! an appreciably better qualityof work-isdn this manner obtained; the use of theithrow-oft' being, practically eliminated.

The gripper arms together with the gripper bar 5are depressed andlowereddown into. engagement withtheplaten after the platen has swung'approximately midway of the arc of. travel with relation to the bed of the press. The rubber tipped, finger 10? together. with a the 3 movable. gage 20- are, p in this manner broughtdown into engagement with the. sheet previously delivered, and. are thus in position. to positively engage and.- ad-- just the samea moment previous to the-time that the impression is made... The cooperating leaf springs. may engage either with the; furnitureuorithe chase in whichthe type:

is mounted, and as the cooperating lea-f springs are flattened or. compressed every.

timean impression; is made it; is apparent that comparatively small spaceus required.

It is therefore possible to attachthe-mechw nism to practically speaking any formio-f platen presss without changing or interfering with any of the moving parts; lhe tongues indicated at 50 may be secured on the adjustable gage 20 in any suitablemanner and. are only provided for the purpose of positively holding down the sheetwhile the gage 20 is moving laterally to adjust the sheet.

The materials andr finishlof the several parts of the device-may otherwise be :such

the experience and judgment. of; the manufacturer may; dictate.

I wish 1t understood thatva-rious changes in form, prop ortions and minor details of construction may be resorted -to--.within the scope of. the appended claims, and thatII do not wish to limitmyself to the specific de--- sign or construction here shown. v

Having thus described.my'invention, what Iclaim: andadesire to secure by Letters Pat ent is:' V a 1.. In. a printing.press-,.-a slidinggage, a member. pivoted: at one end, a link pivotally e nnectedato the gage andto the Other end.

of the pivoted member, and means operable by closing of the press to swing the pivoted member and thereby the link and gage.

2. In a printing press, sheet engaging means to effect adjustment of the sheet, means to actuate said first means including an arched spring, and a reversely arched spring connected at its center to the first arched spring and adapted to have its ends compressed by impact against the furniture of the press.

3. In a printing press, separate means formed so as to be carried by one of the gripper arms for automatically adjusting a sheet placed on the platen in diverse directions to assume a predetermined position before the impression is made.

4. In a printing press, means formed so as to be carried by one of the gripper arms for automatically adjusting a sheet placed on the platen to assume a predetermined position before the impression is made, said means comprising a movable gage and an independent swinging finger both engageable with the sheet.

5. In a printing press, means formed so as to be carried by one of the gripper arms for automatically adjusting a sheet placed on the platen to assume a predetermined position before the impression is made, said means comprising a movable gage and a finger both engageable with the sheet, and means connected with said gage and finger engageable with the bed of the press when the platen swings up to take the impression, said means when engaging with the bed, being adapted to transmit a swinging movement to the finger, and a reciprocating movement to the gage.

6. In a printing press, independent means to engage a sheet to adjust same laterally and longitudinally of the platen, and independent means associated with the respective first named means to separately actuate the latter, said actuating means being formed of different degrees of projection so as to be operated by direct impact of the press furniture thereagainst and at intervals of time.

7. In a printing press, reciprocable means engageable with a sheet to adjust same in one direction on the platen, swinging means engageable with the sheet to adjust same in a second direction, and means to independently actuate each of the said means, said actuating means being formed of different degrees of projection so as to be operated by direct impact of the press furniture thereagainst and at intervals of time.

8. In a printing press, an adjustable bracket plate formed so as to be secured on necting the other end of said lever with the sliding blOck, and means actuated by the movement of the platen to swing the lever about the pivot.

9. In a printing press, an adjustable bracket plate formed so as to be secured on one of the gripper arms, a pin extending from one side of the plate, a block slidably mounted on said pin, a lever pivotally mounted at one end on the plate, a link connecting the other end of said lever with the sliding block, and a spring leaf secured at one end to the bracket plate and having its other end pivotally connected to the lever, said spring being positioned to engage the bed of the press when the platen is raised to take the impression.

10. In a printing press, an adjustable bracket plate formed so as to be secured on one of the gripper arms, a pin extending from one side of the plate, a block slidably mounted on said pm, a lever pivotally mounted at one end of the plate, a link connecting the other end of said lever with the sliding block, a lever pivotally mounted on said plate, a rubber tipped finger on the other end of said lever, and means actuated by the movement of the platen to swing the lever about its pivot.

11. In a printing press, an adjustable bracket plate secured on one of the gripper arms, a pin extending from one side of the plate, a block slidably mounted on said pin, a lever pivotally mounted at one end of the plate, a link connecting the other end of said lever with the sliding block, a lever pivotally mounted on said plate, a rubber tipped finger on the other end of said lever, and a spring leaf secured at one end to the bracket plate and having its other end pivotally connected to the lever, said spring being positioned to engage the bed of the press when the platen is raised to take the impression.

12. In a printing press, means operable by direct impact thereagainst upon closing of the press to engage a sheet and adjust same in one direction, and other means operable by direct impact thereagainst upon closing of the press but at a period of time subsequent to the operation of the first means for adjusting the sheet in a second direction.

13. In a printing press, sheet engaging means to adjust the paper, means pivoted to mount said means for movement, and an arched extensible spring pivoted at one end and being in positive connection with the actuating means at its other end to actuate the latter upon extension of the spring by and upon impact of the latter with the press furniture.

14. In a printing press, a pivoted swinging element having sheet engaging means connected thereto and extensible and contractible means connected at one end to a In testimony whereof I have hereunto set relatively fixed point and pivotally connectmy hand in the presence of two subseribin ed at its other end to said element to one Witnesses. side of the pivot of the latter to effect move- CHARLES A. NAGE.

5 ment of the element upon impact of said Witnesses:

means with a relatively movlng part of the THOS. CASTBERG, press. 1 I J OHN H. HERRING.

Goples of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. s v 

